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Tornadoes are nature's most violent storms. They can appear suddenly without warning and can be invisible until dust and debris are picked up or a funnel cloud appears. Planning and practicing specifically how and where you take shelter is a matter of survival. Be prepared to act quickly.
Prepare for a Tornado

1. Everyone lives in a flood zone.
You don't need to live near water to be flooded.
Floods are caused by storms, melting snow, hurricanes, and water backup due to inadequate or overloaded drainage systems, dam or levee failure, etc.
2. Flood damage is not covered by homeowner’s policies.

1 Develop a Family Communications Plan
Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so plan how you will contact one another and review what you will do in different situations. Everyone should know what to do in case all family members are not together. Discussing emergency plans ahead of time reduces fear and anxiety and ensures everyone knows how to respond. Consider a plan where each family member calls, or e-mails, the same friend or relative in the event of an emergency.
2 Decide to Stay or Go

TOPEKA, Kansas -- The western Kansas storm of Dec. 28-31 caused an estimated $362 million worth of damage, but there’s a possibility of even more damage – the tons of snow and ice it left behind could cause flood damage when the thaw sets in. Spring flooding is always a possibility in the Midwest, and it’s wise to prepare for it.
While we can’t always prevent floods, it is possible to minimize their effect. The surest safeguard is flood insurance, available to homeowners, business owners and renters.

Flooding is the nation's most common natural disaster. Flooding can happen in every U.S. state and territory. However, all floods are not alike. Some can develop slowly during an extended period of rain, or in a warming trend following a heavy snow. Others, such as flash floods, can occur quickly, even without any visible signs of rain. Be prepared for flooding no matter where you live, but particularly if you are in a low-lying area, near water or downstream from a dam. Even a very small stream or dry creek bed can overflow and create flooding.

TOPEKA, Kan. -- When a tornado strikes, nothing is more important than keeping your loved ones safe. But what if your children are at school? Is there a safe place for children to go when a tornado threatens?
That's the question Reno County officials asked themselves after a May 4, 1999 tornado touched down in the city of Buhler . School children were on their way to a track meet when they saw the tornado in the distance.

TOPEKA, Kansas -- Hamilton County will receive federal aid money for snow removal costs in the wake of the Dec. 28-31 winter storm, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today. Hamilton joins 11 other counties that are eligible for snow removal assistance after suffering record or near-record snowfall during the storm.

TOPEKA, Kansas -- Public agencies and eligible private nonprofit organizations have less than a week to apply for disaster assistance from the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), disaster officials said today.
February 6 is the deadline to submit Request for Public Assistance forms for infrastructure damage suffered during the December 28-31 winter storm in 44 western Kansas counties.